Tempers flared and protesters took to the streets after Egypt's constitutional court issued twin rulings effectively dissolving the Islamist-led parliament and allowing former officials to run for office just days ahead of a presidential run-off election.
Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that one-third of the Egyptian legislature was elected illegally, making the entire parliament unconstitutional and necessitating new parliamentary elections.
The court also rejected a parliamentary law barring officials from the rule of former president Hosni Mubarak from running for office. That cleared the way for former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq to compete in the presidential run-off vote, set for Saturday and Sunday. Shafiq placed second to the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, Mohamed Morsi, in the first round of voting in late May.
Morsi said he “respected” the court rulings, although he told privately-owned Dream TV he was “dissatisfied” with the court's decision to reject the law that would have barred Shafiq from running.
Egypt's official MENA news agency quoted the country's ruling military council as saying the run-off will go ahead as scheduled.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. is monitoring the situation and expects to see a “full transfer of power to a democratically-elected civilian government.”
“There can be no going back on the democratic transition called for by the Egyptian people.”
Word of the court rulings was met with anger and distrust by people outside the courthouse in Cairo, sparking chants demanding the downfall of what was termed “the military regime.”
Some Islamist politicians decried the ruling, saying it amounted to a military coup.
One protester, Mohamed Abdullah, told VOA it shows the powers that be are looking for ways to stop change.
“Today it's clear that everyone wants to hand over power to Shafiq. The deal with Shafiq is he's like a cat with nine lives. Shafiq is Mubarak's dog. He's the one protecting the regime.”
Another demonstrator, Mohamed Hussein, called the ruling an outrage.
“By what logic can we return the tyrannical old regime? Where is the justice in that? We had a revolution and no revolution in the world brings back a tyrannical regime.”
Speaking to supporters in Cairo Thursday, Ahmed Shafiq called the ruling “historic” and urged all Egyptians to take part in the polls. He promised Egypt would return to greatness, saying its future would be written now.
He also rejected the use of violence, saying there is no need to use threats, and said he would respect the rights of all Egyptians to protest.
“The era of political score settling has ended and the individualization of the law or the use of the nation's statutes to achieve the goals of a single group against a person or another group has now gone forever.''
Some political activists, like Mohamed Fawaz with the 6th of April Movement, say despite some shock and anger on the streets, the court rulings were expected.
“It is very logical that the law [to disqualify Ahmed Shafiq from the elections] was refused. I have always expected that the law will be found void. We are talking about all the organizations of the country working together so that Ahmed Shafiq would become president, to return the Mubarak regime once again and to continue the military rule that has been going for 60 years.”
Lawyer Tarek Nagida says the country's military council will now have to step in while parliament steps down.
“The parliament has to suspend its sessions because it lost its legitimacy by losing one-third of its members and, in this case, the parliament has to wait until the ruling power calls for new elections for the third of the seats of the parliament.”
At least one senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party warned Thursday that Egypt was entering a “dark tunnel.”
Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh said he was especially concerned about a decree issued Wednesday that allows military police to detain civilians. Some critics say the move essentially places Egypt under martial law.
